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Today's opinions and editorials

Tactically, however, (former Alaska Gov. Sarah) Palin's move was pure brilliance: in but a few keystrokes she synthesized the underlying suspicion at least half of Americans have about a government role in health care delivery and created a visual metaphor from which the Obama White House and congressional Democrats still haven't fully recovered. So would it surprise you that Palin has a legitimate point? Well, sort of (John Edgell, 9/4).

5 Sep 2009

Alcohol is harmful for unborn babies

Learning disabilities, mental health issues and behavior problems are just some of the issues that afflict babies exposed to alcohol in the womb, yet some doctors still tell their patients it is safe to have a drink now and then while pregnant.

5 Sep 2009

Fixing health care costs by changing patient behavior

Patient behavior plays a central role in fixing health. NPR reports: "Economists have long said health care, as a market, is a strange animal. A large part of this is because patients don't act like regular consumers."

4 Sep 2009

Town hall meetings continue to trigger unexpected events

The New York Times reports that conservatives are hungry for a real debate beyond the rhetoric at these events: "Far from embracing the attacks, many leading conservative health care policy experts said in recent interviews that the dynamic was precluding a more robust real-world debate while making it nearly impossible for them to inject their studied, free-market solutions into the discussion.

4 Sep 2009

Positive impact on medication adherence through Aetna's care management program

Aetna announced today results of an analysis from the first half of 2009, demonstrating an average medication adherence of over 95 percent for its members taking Specialty medications. Disease states evaluated in Aetna’s analysis include: multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, Crohn's disease, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), psoriasis, Hepatitis C and asthma.

4 Sep 2009

World should contribute $23B to increase women's access to contraception, UNFPA says

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Tuesday "appealed for the world to contribute more to improve women's health and access to contraception," Agence France-Presse reports.

4 Sep 2009

Lab Express to offer Blood Typing for $8

Local medical laboratory Lab Express is offering to help the public know their blood type. Forty percent of the general public doesn’t know their own blood type or that by knowing their blood type can help to save their life and the lives of others. During the month of September Lab Express is offering Blood Typing for $8, which includes a laminated medical card stating the patient's blood type to be carried with them in case of emergencies.

4 Sep 2009

Lessons for America: comparing health systems across Europe

Forbes published a package of articles and opinion pieces called "Public Vs. Private Health Care," which compares health care systems across Europe.

4 Sep 2009

CDC recommends routine health examintion for all school-age children

Although school has just begun, it is already exam time for students throughout Wisconsin. That's because in addition to notebook paper and pens, back-to-school preparations should also include routine health exams to make sure students are healthy and ready to learn. These include: a doctor's exam to confirm that all immunizations are up-to-date, a dental exam and a vision exam.

3 Sep 2009

Reliable and relevant information needed to rein in the costs of federal health-care programs, says study

For economists and policy-makers to understand the true value of the costs and savings of preventive health programs for chronic disease, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) should incorporate long-term clinical outcomes data and look beyond the 10-year window when making cost estimates, says a team of University of Chicago researchers in today's issue of Health Affairs.

3 Sep 2009

Maldonado Medical collaborates with ANMM for facilitating claims reimbursement

Maldonado Medical LLC, a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider servicing the southwestern United States, has formed a strategic alliance with American National Medical Management (ANMM), a patients' claims management group that specializes in getting claims compensated in a timely manner with a proprietary process that enforces the legal terms of a patients health insurance policy.

3 Sep 2009

Beijing Rain and Earth Technology to provide cheaper blood dialysis in China

RainEarth Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: RNER; "the Company") announced that in the second quarter of 2009, the Xinhua News Agency publicized the creation of "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Deepening the Reform of the Medical and Health Care System" ("Opinion").

3 Sep 2009

THNN's Vice President to supervise the clinical research applications of SUPER MEAL RX

THNN Inc. (Transformation Health Nutrition Naturals Inc.) enthusiastically announces the appointment of Dr. Thoger Malmstrom to the position of Vice President for Nutritional Wellness Applications.

3 Sep 2009

Netherlands shows the way in healthcare accountability

As national healthcare reform initiatives grab headlines throughout the U.S., Maasstad Hospital in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is quietly demonstrating how physicians, nurses, and administrators can be held accountable to national performance standards.

3 Sep 2009

Pfizer to pay $2.3 billion for health care fraud settlement

American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. (hereinafter together "Pfizer") have agreed to pay $2.3 billion, the largest health care fraud settlement in the history of the Department of Justice, to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from the illegal promotion of certain pharmaceutical products, the Justice Department announced today.

3 Sep 2009

Tort reform and changes to doctor payment could cut health costs

Limiting medical malpractice lawsuits and changing the doctor payment system are being debated as possible ways to make health care more cost-effective.

3 Sep 2009

Avastin increases survival rates in recurrent glioblastoma affected patients

The targeted therapy Avastin, alone and in combination with the chemotherapy drug CPT-11, significantly increased response rates, progression-free survival times and survival rates in patients with a deadly form of brain cancer that had recurred.

3 Sep 2009

How to make the most of expiring health coverage

"Job loss or the fear of it has pushed more people to use their employer-sponsored health insurance before they lose it. Major health insurers have seen their medical costs rise in recent quarters, in part because people covered by employer-sponsored plans have rushed to use services before their benefits are cut off."

3 Sep 2009

Despite health reform efforts, Milwaukee clinic for low-income patients may close

A clinic in a low-income Milwaukee neighborhood has filled a need for 23 years, but people running it worry that it may not be helped by any changes to the health care system. The New York Times reports on the Milwaukee Immediate Care Center, a small nonprofit clinic, "which keeps hours at night and on weekends, [and] is the only full-time operation in the neighborhood that provides urgent care, luring patients with a sign that reads, 'When You Need a Doctor Today.'"

2 Sep 2009

NCPA urges Congress to prevent Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement cuts

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) is urging Congressional action in the next 30 days to preserve the access Medicaid patients have to approximately 23,000 community pharmacies.

2 Sep 2009